The present invention is directed to a water-removal blade or deflector for paper-making machines. More particularly, it is directed to a blade that can be applied to the flat or forming table in a paper-making machine and is able to accentuate the removal of water from the paper pulp deposited on the wire of the paper-making machine.
Various types of blades or deflectors for paper-making machines, employed to remove water, are known. Some blades are fixed; others have a variable angle of incidence, and some have a fixed leading edge and others have a replaceable leading edge. Further, the known water-removal blades can have their leading edge made of ceramics or of a metal alloy.
As is recognized, a water-removal blade for use with a paper-making apparatus has to satisfy a plurality of requirements, and it is for this reason that up to now so many types of blades have been suggested. One requirement is a high water-removal capacity in the face of variations in the characteristics of the pulp. For this reason blades with a variable angle of incidence have been suggested and made. In such blades the variability of the angle created between the direction of movement of the wire carrying the pulp and the upper surface of the blade creates a vacuum downstream from the leading edge which assists removal of water from the pulp. Another requirement is high resistance of the leading edge to wear so as to avoid frequent maintenance operations. Still another requirement is a low capacity for abrasion against the wire so as to avoid frequent replacements of the wire; and still another is low cost.
These requirements are fully met by the present invention which includes all the advantages of the previously known blades.